The problem of excess weight affects many people. According to statistics, out of 1.5 billion overweight people, 500 million are obese. Dr. Artemis Simopoulos, founder of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition, and Health (a non-profit educational organization in the District of Columbia), and Dr. James DiNicolantonio of St. Luke's Mid-American Heart Institute (Kansas) talked about the effectiveness of omega-3s for weight loss, as well as the optimal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet of a modern person.
Omega-3 and omega-6: what is their ideal ratio?
Dr. Simopoulos stated that since the 1980s there have been many studies aimed at studying the causes and methods of controlling obesity, however, in both developed and developing countries, the weight of the population continues to grow inexorably.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 are essential for regulating hormones that are responsible for blood sugar stability, nervous system health and appetite suppression. However, it is important to understand that for a positive effect, the ratio of these groups of acids must be optimal.
Experts are still arguing about the optimal balance of omega-3 and omega-6: the ratio of these PUFAs in the recommendations of different countries varies from 1:10 to 1:2 and depends on the state of human health.
However, experts agree on one thing – in the diet of modern man, the amount of omega-6 fatty acids significantly exceeds the amount of omega-3, which leads to the development of two unhealthy conditions:
- increase in white adipose tissue;
- chronic inflammation.
These two factors are risk indicators for obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cancer.
What are the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for the body?
PUFAs are not synthesized in the body, so they must be supplied from food. The three most important PUFAs are:
- alpha linoleic;
- docosahexaenoic;
- eicosapanthenic.
Omega-3 fatty acids:
- reduce the risk of coronary heart disease;
- reduce the risk of mental illness;
- reduce inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis;
- reduce insulin resistance.
Obesity, satiety and the brain: omega-3s for weight loss
Appetite and the amount of food you need will largely determine the brain, based on information about pH, stomach size and metabolism.
The gastrointestinal tract secretes hormones that control the amount and frequency of food intake: cholecystokinin signals the brain to be full, ghrelin – about feeling hungry. However, the main hormone that regulates appetite and metabolism is leptin, which is produced by adipose tissue.
Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to the reduction of adipose tissue and weight loss.
The amount of leptin synthesized in the body increases as fat mass increases. Acting on the hypothalamus, leptin suppresses orexigenic (appetite-stimulating) and activates anorexigenic (appetite-reducing) effects. In obese patients, the level of leptin is so elevated that the sensitivity to it decreases, i.e. leptin resistance develops, making it difficult for a person to get enough.
Of course, the development of leptin resistance is facilitated by several factors:
- consumption of sugars, especially fructose, in large quantities;
- eating unhealthy fats;
- lack of physical activity.
Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to the reduction of adipose tissue and weight loss. Omega-3s are also essential for the production of lipid mediators (resolvins, protectins, and maresins), which have a neuroprotective effect and suppress inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids promote more intense fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis.
Mammalian cells are unable to convert omega-6 fatty acids into omega-3 due to the lack of an enzyme necessary for this process. Omega-3 and omega-6 are not interchangeable and have opposite physiological effects, so their balance in the diet is important.
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